Celebrities with Unusual Pets

They say a dog is man’s best friend, but these famous pet owners tend to disagree. They probably think dogs are much too mainstream. From George Clooney’s faithful four-legged friend to Teddy Roosevelt’s mayhem-causing menagerie, these unusual pets are bound to make you admire the sacred bond between man and beast.

David Beckham’s Micro Pigs

Apparently, even a tough guy like David Beckham isn’t immune to cuteness. The famous soccer player’s wife bought him two micro pigs for Christmas in 2009, which they named after family friends David Furnish and Elton John. The micro pigs, which grow to be just 14 inches tall, cost the couple over 1,400 pounds, or about $2,200 dollars.

Tori Spelling’s Chicken

On any given day in Los Angeles, one might spot Tori Spelling out and about with her fluffy pet chicken, Coco Chanel. The reality TV star, mother, and author likes to carry Coco around town while she runs errands and even feeds her scones and other human treats.

Mike Tyson’s Pigeons

Back in the day, he was a ferocious boxer who bit off someone’s ear, but nowadays Mike Tyson has a new sport, pigeon racing. Tyson began collecting small numbers of pigeons even before his boxing days. His collection grew after he retired from the boxing scene and he now owns thousands. He says he considers his hobby to be therapeutic and even hired a pigeon trainer to help him hone his skills.

Kristen Stewart’s Wolf-Dog Hybrids

Bella Swan might be on Team Edward, but is Kristen Stewart secretly on Team Jacob? The Twilight star’s mother owns several wolf-dog hybrids. In an interview with David Letterman, she admitted the wolf-dogs look rather intimidating but assured him that they’re actually very sweet. She even brought a picture of herself cuddling with one of the gentle hounds.

Reese Witherspoon’s Miniature Donkeys

You can take the girl out of the honky tonk, but you can’t take the honky tonk out of the girl. While visiting a friend’s farm, Reese Witherspoon fell in love with miniature donkeys. She later bought two of her own and named them Honky and Tonky. They joined Witherspoon’s other four-legged family members, which include pigs, goats, and dogs.

Michael Jackson’s Chimpanzee

The King of Pop adopted a young chimpanzee named Bubbles, who often accompanied him on business trips before the two settled at Neverland Ranch. There, Bubbles reportedly slept in a crib in Jackson’s room, used the same toilet, and even ate candy in the movie theater. He was relocated to an animal sanctuary when he began displaying aggressive tendencies.

Leonardo Dicaprio’s Tortoise

Leonardo Dicaprio doesn’t mind taking things slow. In 2010, the actor bought a 38-pound Sulcata tortoise at a reptile breeders’ conference for $400. Experts say the tortoise can grow to weigh 200 pounds and live for 80 years.

Nicole Kidman’s Alpacas

What do Nicole Kidman and her alpacas have in common? Their beautiful long eyelashes. Kidman and her husband Keith Urban love raising the llama-like creatures on their farm in Nashville. The actress said she was initially drawn to them because of their beautiful long necks and eyelashes, but she grew to love them more because of their gentle nature.

Steven Tyler’s Raccoon

Raccoons have gotten a bad rap, but Steven Tyler knows better than to believe all the hype. The rock legend says he goes fishing with his pet raccoon on his shoulder every day. Contrary to the rabid raccoons that attack people in movies, domesticated raccoons can be bought legally, litter box trained, and are said to be as friendly as dogs.

Hugh Hefner’s Zoo

We all know Hugh Hefner kept bunnies at his mansion, but did you know his abode was also home to a host of other animals? The CFO of Playboy turned part of his estate into an official zoo, complete with peacocks, flamingos, Squirrel Monkeys, Capuchins, Spider Monkeys, and Tamarins.

Nicolas Cage’s King Cobras

Nicolas Cage drew inspiration for his character in the movie Ghost Rider from an unlikely source – his King Cobra, Sheba. The actor revealed in an interview that his cobra hated him. Every time he came in to feed her, she would turn her back to him and sway from side to side in an attempt to hypnotize him. The markings on a cobra’s back resemble an eye, which adds to the eeriness of their mesmerizing defense mechanism. Cage wanted his character in the movie to captivate and terrify the audience at the same time, so he mimicked the actions of his snake during certain scenes.

Charlie Sheen’s Chinese Water Dragon

When it comes to pets, Charlie Sheen is not exactly “winning.” The crazy actor once owned a Chinese water dragon, which he dubbed Hopper Jr. Unfortunately the animal died of neglect, like several other pets that have died under Sheen’s supervision.